Baseline1-10 Cost fields

The baseline cost fields (Baseline1 Cost through Baseline10 Cost) store the total planned cost for a task, a resource, or an assignment. The Baseline1 Cost field stores planned task, resource, or assignment costs saved with Baseline 1. Likewise, the Baseline2 Cost through Baseline10 Cost fields store planned task, resource, or assignment costs for Baselines 2 through 10. Baseline cost is also referred to as budget at completion (BAC), an earned value field. The timephased versions of these fields show values distributed over time.

There are several categories of Baseline1-10 Cost fields.

Data Type Currency

Baseline1-10 Cost (task fields)

Entry Type Calculated or entered

How Calculated The baseline cost is calculated as the sum of the planned costs of all the assigned resources plus any fixed costs associated with the task. This is the same as the contents of the Cost field when the baseline is saved.

The baseline cost field that is used (Baseline1 Cost, Baseline2 Cost, and so on) depends on which baseline was saved (for example, Baseline 1, Baseline 2, and so on).

Best Uses Add one of the Baseline1-10 Cost task fields to a task view when you've saved more than one baseline, and you want to analyze baseline costs for tasks. Baseline costs become available when you set cost information for the assigned resources and set the baseline for the task. Compare baseline cost against the Cost field to determine if task costs are within budget. With multiple baselines, you can also compare baseline costs saved at different points in the project.

Example At the start of your project, you created a task with a 10-hour duration and a single resource assigned at $20 per hour. When you saved your first baseline, the baseline cost for the task was $200, as stored in the Baseline Cost task field. Since then you've make adjustments to the project, and the task now has a 20-hour duration. You save another baseline using Baseline 1. Now the baseline cost for the task is $400, and this value is stored in the Baseline1 Cost task field.

Remarks The baseline cost fields contain 0.00 until you save a corresponding baseline, which you can do at any time during the project in the Set Baseline dialog box. Select the baseline you want—Baseline 1 through Baseline 10. This copies the current total costs of tasks into the corresponding baseline cost field.

If you edit the contents of a baseline cost field, it does not affect any baseline task cost calculations or any timephased baseline costs for the task.

Baseline costs do not change after the baseline has been saved, even if work values change.

Baseline1-10 Cost (resource fields)

Entry Type Calculated or entered

How Calculated The baseline cost is calculated as the sum of the planned costs of the resource, including scheduled work, scheduled overtime, and per-use costs for all work assigned to the resource. This is the same as the contents of the Cost field when the baseline is saved.

The baseline cost field that is used (Baseline1 Cost, Baseline2 Cost, and so on) depends on which baseline was saved (Baseline1, Baseline2, and so on).

Best Uses Add one of the Baseline1-10 Cost resource fields to a resource view when you've saved more than one baseline and you want to analyze baseline costs for resources. Baseline costs for a resource become available when you set cost information for the resource and save a baseline for the tasks that the resource is assigned to. Compare baseline cost with the Cost field to determine if resource costs are within budget. You can also use multiple baselines to compare baseline costs saved at different points in the project.

Example At the start of your project, you had a resource at $20 per hour assigned to 10 different tasks for a total of 100 hours. Therefore, when you saved your first baseline, the baseline cost for the resource was $2,000. Since you saved the first baseline, you've made adjustments to the project, and the resource's rate has been corrected to $25 per hour. You save another baseline using Baseline 1. Now the baseline cost for the resource is $2,500, and this is stored in the Baseline1 Cost resource field.

Remarks The baseline cost fields contain 0.00 until you save a corresponding baseline, which you can do at any time during the project in the Set Baseline dialog box. Select the baseline you want—Baseline 1 through Baseline 10. This copies the current total costs of resources into the corresponding baseline cost field.

If you edit the contents of a baseline cost field, it does not affect any baseline resource cost calculations or any timephased baseline costs for the resource.

Baseline costs do not change after the baseline has been saved even if work values change.

Baseline1-10 Cost (assignment fields)

Entry Type Calculated or entered

How Calculated The baseline cost is calculated as the sum of the planned costs of the assignment, including scheduled work, scheduled overtime, and per-use costs for the assignment. This is the same as the contents of the Cost field when the baseline is saved.

The baseline cost field that is used (Baseline1 Cost, Baseline2 Cost, and so on) depends on which baseline was saved (Baseline 1, Baseline 2, and so on).

Best Uses Add one of the Baseline1-10 Cost assignment fields to the sheet portion of the Task Usage or Resource Usage view when you've saved more than one baseline and you want to analyze baseline costs for assignments. Baseline costs for an assignment become available when you set cost information for the resource, assign the resource to a task, and save a baseline for the project. Compare baseline cost against the Cost field to determine if the assignment is within budget. With multiple baselines, you can also compare baseline costs saved at different points in the project.

Example At the start of your project, you added a resource at $20 per hour to a task that has a 10-hour duration. When you saved your first baseline, the baseline cost for the assignment was $200, as stored in the Baseline Cost assignment field. Two months later, you've made adjustments in your project. The resource is now $25 per hour. You save another baseline using Baseline 1. Now the baseline cost for the assignment is $250, and this value is stored in the Baseline1 Cost assignment field.

Remarks The baseline cost fields contain 0.00 until you save a corresponding baseline, which you can do at any time during the project in the Set Baseline dialog box. Select the baseline that you want—Baseline or Baseline 1 through Baseline 10. This copies the current total costs of assignments into the corresponding baseline cost field.

If you edit the contents of a baseline cost field, it does not affect task or resource baseline cost calculations or any timephased baseline costs for the assignment.

Baseline costs do not change after the baseline has been saved, even if work values change.

Baseline1-10 Cost (task-timephased fields)

Entry Type Calculated or entered

How Calculated As soon as you save a baseline, the timephased cost fields for the assignment are copied into the timephased baseline cost fields. These are the task costs that include scheduled work, scheduled overtime, and per-use costs for the assigned resources, along with any fixed costs for the task, distributed across the duration of the task.

The baseline cost field that is used (Baseline1 Cost, Baseline2 Cost, and so on) depends on which baseline was saved (Baseline 1, Baseline 2, and so on).

Best Uses Add one of the Baseline1-10 Cost task fields to the timephased portion of the Task Usage view when you've saved more than one baseline and you want to analyze timephased baseline costs for tasks. Baseline costs for a task become available when you set cost information for the assigned resources and save a baseline. Compare baseline cost against the Cost field to determine if task costs are within budget. With multiple baselines, you can also compare baseline costs saved at different points in the project.

Example At the start of your project, Sean and Chris were assigned to the "Write proposal" task, which was scheduled for 16 hours of work on a Monday through Thursday. The rate for both Sean and Chris is $20 per hour. The work was scheduled as 4 hours of work for each of the 4 days, so the timephased scheduled cost was $80 for each of the 4 days. When you saved your first baseline, this timephased cost was stored in the Baseline Cost task field. Since then, you've adjusted the project, and both resources' rates have been corrected to $25 per hour. You save another baseline using Baseline 1. Now the planned cost for this task is $100 for each day, and this information is stored in the Baseline1 Cost task field.

Remarks If you edit the contents of a baseline cost field, it does not affect task or resource baseline cost calculations or any timephased baseline costs for the task.

Baseline1-10 Cost (resource-timephased fields)

Entry Type Calculated or entered

How Calculated As soon as you save a baseline, the timephased cost fields for the resource are copied into the timephased baseline cost fields, which can be displayed in the Task Usage or Resource Usage view. These are the resource costs that include scheduled work, scheduled overtime, and per-use costs for all work assigned to the resource, distributed across the duration of the task.

The baseline cost field that is used (Baseline1 Cost, Baseline2 Cost, and so on) depends on which baseline was saved (Baseline 1, Baseline 2, and so on).

Best Uses Add one of the Baseline1-10 Cost resource fields to the timephased portion of the Resource Usage view when you've saved more than one baseline and you want to analyze timephased baseline costs for resources. Baseline costs for a resource become available when you set cost information for the resource and save a baseline for the tasks the resource is assigned to. Compare baseline cost with the Cost field to determine if resource costs are within budget. With multiple baselines, you can also compare baseline costs saved at different points in the project.

Example At the start of your project, Jamie, at $10 per hour and 8 hours per day, was assigned to 15 different tasks throughout the duration of the project. The scheduled timephased cost value was $80 (8 hours at $10 per hour) for each day worked. When you saved your first baseline, this timephased scheduled cost was stored in the Baseline Cost resource field. Since you saved the first baseline, you've made adjustments to the project, and Jamie is now working 4 hours per day. You save another baseline using Baseline 1. Now the planned cost for Jamie is $40 (4 hours at $10 per hour) for each day worked. This information is stored in the Baseline1 Cost timephased resource field.

Remarks If you edit the contents of a baseline cost field, it does not affect task or resource baseline cost calculations or any timephased baseline costs for the resource.

Baseline1-10 Cost (assignment-timephased fields)

Entry Type Calculated or entered

How Calculated As soon as you save a baseline, the timephased cost fields for the assignment are copied into the corresponding timephased baseline cost fields, which can be displayed in the Task Usage or Resource Usage view. These are the assignment costs that include scheduled work, scheduled overtime, and per-use costs for the assignment, distributed across the duration of the task.

The baseline cost field that is used (Baseline1 Cost, Baseline2 Cost, and so on) depends on which baseline was saved (Baseline 1, Baseline 2, and so on).

Best Uses Add one of the Baseline1-10 Cost assignment fields to the timephased portion of the Task Usage or Resource Usage view when you've saved more than one baseline and you want to analyze timephased baseline costs for assignments. The baseline cost for an assignment becomes available when you set cost information for the resource, assign the resource to a task, and set a baseline. Compare the baseline cost field with the Cost field to determine if the assignment is within budget. With multiple baselines, you can also compare baseline costs saved at different points in the project.

Example At the start of your project, Sean was assigned to the "Write proposal" task, which was scheduled for 16 hours of work from Monday through Thursday. Sean's standard rate was $20 per hour. Work on the task was scheduled as 4 hours of work for each of the 4 days, so the timephased cost was $80 for each day. When you saved your first baseline, this timephased scheduled cost was stored in the Baseline Cost assignment field. You've made changes to the project since you saved the baseline, and Sean's rate has been corrected to $25 per hour. You save another baseline using Baseline 1. Now the baseline cost for this assignment is $100 for each day, and this information is stored in the Baseline1 Cost assignment field.

Remarks If you edit the contents of a baseline cost field, it does not affect task or resource baseline cost calculations or any timephased baseline costs for the assignment.